45+ Textures

By definition, texture means the surface quality or feel of an object. The qualities of a texture is experienced by how your skin rubs against a surface and all the sensations you feel while doing that. With the advent of digital media, textures have become one of the of the most powerful tools for creating compelling graphic art. They create a physical illusion and can evoke emotion as well as bring life to any visual design. Part of the reason textures are so useful to designers is the relative ease of the integrating them into a design to create life-like images.

On this page, we have gathered different kinds of textures and some of the best textures we can find in the world of the Internet. These textures are all inspired by the surfaces we encounter every day in real life which is a great help for designers to boost your design process and are great tools to add to your Photoshop arsenal. The textures that you may download from this post contain different graphical features. Hence, make sure to select the texture that best fits the material where you are going to put it.

Metal Plate Texture

Brushed Metal Texture Format

Scratched Metal Texture

Leather Texture Templates

Black Leather Texture

Animal Leather Texture

Football Leather Texture

Types of Textures

As mentioned, graphic design textures emulate textures of the real world which comes from both natural and artificial elements that comprises the world we live in. Below are some of the textures commonly used in graphic design which are also featured in this article.

Stone textures. Stone textures are very common in industrial designs and they can be used to depict a floor surface, a stone or brick wall, or masonry among others. Marble textures can also be classified as such and are also great for backgrounds.

Metal textures. Metal textures are also popular and they can be divided into different classifications. There is the brushed metal texture which shows a smooth metal surface while rustic and grunge textures are used for distressed images.

Wood textures. To illustrate a realistic image that is raw and natural, wood textures are perfect to use as it gives you a flavor of antiquity and timelessness. As tree barks comes in all different styles, wood textures can create fascinating designs.

Paper textures. Paper also creates different textures from the many ways it can be manipulated. It can be crunched, folded, torn, and burned among others which creates an interesting surface that can be pleasing aesthetically if used very well.

Leather textures. Leather textures also creates an interesting pattern on its surface which looks great when used as backgrounds and in 3D modeling. The irregular pattern from the leather texture creates a heavy and sturdy feel that is good for decorative ideas.

Grass textures. Just like wood texture, grass textures are among those textures that are natural although not quite popular. Of course, they are commonly used to depict a field or a forest bed but they can also be used to design images that are organic and natural.

Fabric textures. Fabrics can be heavy or light, soft or rough, therefore, fabric textures offers a variety of different choices for fashion illustrations and home decorations. They also have different patterns which can be interesting to add to your designs.

If you want templates for these textures, you can check out other articles available on this website, such as our collection of Newspaper Textures and Wall Textures among others.

Dirty Chalkboard Texture

Chalkboard Paint Texture

Green Chalkboard Texture

Grunge Texture Samples

Grunge Asphalt Texture

Grunge Border Texture

Grunge Dust Texture

Why Use Textures?

A number of benefits can be achieved by using the right texture on your projects and here are some reasons why you should use these different textures.

They boost your design process. As a graphic designer, you should yearn to create amazing graphic designs and one way to do these is to have the right tools and to expand them if you already have one. One way to do this is to add different textures to your arsenal.

They grab attention. Using textures in order to highlight titles, headings, icons and buttons provides an eye-catching element to its design. If used wisely, it can separate the element from the rest of the content and guide the user’s eye right to your message.

They create a realistic look. Because they are based on the things we usually find in the real world, textures gives designs a raw and organic feel like that of wood, paper or metal, which provides more options in designing stuff associated with everyday objects.

They give more freedom. You can get both strong and subtle patterns in one with textures which eliminates the restrictions you usually have when designing images. Textures allow you to experiment and be more crafty to create some cool and edgy masterpieces.

They help you build an identity. Since textures make a space look more interesting and one of a kind, they can actually promote uniqueness and originality when it comes to the usage of the final output of the project where they are used.

When to Use Textures

All the types of textures have characteristics that can be used for a variety of purposes and occasions like the following:

Website backgrounds. Subtle textures such as paper and soft fabric textures are great for backgrounds of Web pages as they do not steal the spotlight from other important elements of your personal blog or business website.

3D modeling. A nice brushed steel or a silver metal grate texture provides the modern, edgy look that is perfect for 3D modeling with industrial themes. Rustic metal textures are great for post-apocalyptic images that can be seen in some games.

Icons and logos. Just like backgrounds, textures that are not too heavy and loud is also great for icons and logos to use as background for texts or other objects incorporated on the image instead of using solid and loud complementary colors.

Labels. They are also great for labels, especially those that are attached to walls or metal casings as they blend well with the background and creates an illusion of being part of it. When textures are used as skins for text, they create a stencil design or a 3D illusion.

Rough Texture Designs

Rough Carpet Texture

Rough Canvas Texture

Rough Cement Texture

Smoke Texture Samples

Soft Smoke Texture

Smoke Particle Texture

Dark Smoke Texture

How to Use Textures Effectively

If you want to produce high-quality designs and photo-realistic images, you should be able to use these textures effectively. Here are some tips and ways to ensure textures guide the user’s eye and emphasize the key elements instead of using these textures as the main focus of your design.

Select your textures accordingly. Even if all textures truly look good, you still need to be aware of how you can use them properly. You can only maximize the effect that a texture can showcase if you will logically incorporate them to items where they look amazing. More so, the branding and nature of the items should also be taken into consideration.

Consider what you are trying to achieve. It’s easy to get carried away when using textures but you have to keep in mind the final effect that you want to achieve and make sure that your vision is perfectly executed. Dwelling too long in choosing the right texture will never get you done.

Make sure it serves a purpose. Using rust textures for aesthetic purposes may require some more thought before finalizing your design. If it doesn’t improve your design, take it out. Using rust textures for subtlety and nuance sounds like a better plan and a better way to go about it.

You should maintain legibility. Avoid going overboard when using rust textures as a background for texts. Although it can be visually captivating, sacrificing legibility over texture is not a way to go if you don’t want your audience to turn away when visiting your site.

Never sacrifice quality for loading time. Using textures on your web pages can require some loading time especially when used as backgrounds or other larger elements. Yet, you don’t need to sacrifice the quality of your texture. Repeating texture patterns is a good way to save time.

As a graphic designer, starting out your journey in creating texture-inspired graphic design requires nothing more than a clear idea and a good set of images and Photoshop tools. Part of the reason textures are so useful to designers is the relative ease of the integrating them into a design, not to mention the endless possibilities. So, whether you’re using the textures as a focal point or an emphasizing component to complement other elements of the design, textures will always have a leading role in the creation of graphic art masterpieces.

For more texture ideas, check out Velvet Textures and other texture templates on the site.